Losing It!tag:www.urbanmoms.ca,2009-04-01:/losing_it//22013-05-23T03:43:46ZKatherine is a mom of two girls and a self-described dilettante. Join her in Losing It as she shares slices of her hectic life and eclectic interests. From the mundane to the outrageous, if Kath knows anything about it she’ll be more than happy to tell you. For your regular dose of random – Losing It is the place to be. Kath also blogs at this is kat. You can also follow her on twitter @thisiskat.Movable Type Pro 4.37Now Why Would You Do THAT?tag:www.urbanmoms.ca,2013:/losing_it//2.139192013-05-23T03:05:39Z2013-05-23T03:43:46ZKathhttp://www.urbanmoms.ca/losing_it/2012 was a record-breaking year for births in Alberta, with 52,398 new souls being welcomed into the world here. And according to Service Alberta, Emma and Liam were the two most popular names given to these little bundles of joy.
I'm gonna be honest with you here: I love it when the top-baby-names list comes out each year. It's a chance to put on my robe and wig, take out the gavel and get judg-ey. And although we don't like to admit it, most of us secretly like mounting our high horses and looking down our noses at the plebs, with all their common names. *SIGH* Poor things though, really, aren't they? Quite.
Surprisingly, I quite like most of the names on this year's "most popular" list (with a few exceptions on the boys' list). I don't know if this means my standards are slipping, or that the young folk who are out there having babies have simply started to rise to my level (I quite suspect the latter, however).
Here it is, then: Alberta's Top Ten Baby Names for 2012 (complete with my stamp of approval or disapproval).
Girls:
Emma - APPROVED (One of the sweetest and most wonderful little girls I know is named Emma; so how could I not love it?)
Olivia - APPROVED
Emily - APPROVED (Sounds a lot like Emma, but still a completely lovely name)
Sophia - APPROVED (Wonderful name with a slightly exotic Italian flavour)
Ava - APPROVED
Lily - APPROVED (This was a top pick for me when my own girls were born. Still love it.)
Ella - APPROVED
Isabella - APPROVED
Abigail - APPROVED
Chloe - APPROVED
Boys:
Liam - APPROVED (But just by the slightest hairsbreadth of margins. Actually, I used to adore this name, but it has become awfully common lately, and it's lost its shine for me. So this one gets a MEH.)
Ethan - APPROVED
Jacob - APPROVED
Logan - APPROVED
Mason - DISAPPROVED (I don't personally care for the recent trend of naming boys after medieval occupations: Mason, Carter, Archer, Hunter, etc.)
Benjamin - APPROVED (Classic name, and Ben is a great name too)
Lucas - APPROVED
Alexander - APPROVED (Probably my single favourite boy's name)
Carter - DISAPPROVED (See above; Mason)
Noah - APPROVED
So, that was fun, right? But what's even more fun is checking out the most unusual baby names to be registered each year. Check out the wackiest monikers bestowed by (obviously crack-smoking) Alberta parents in 2012:
Girls:
Precious - Really? Precious? Have you been to a movie in the past five years? You need to go and download this movie - or better yet read the book - (or even just think of Gollum, for heaven's sake) and then decide if that's what you want people to think of every time they say your baby girl's name. Do it. Now. Quickly! Before the ink dries on those birth registry papers...
Dancing-Sunflower - Yeah. I mean...you guys. I can't even.
Rhaney-Day - Okay, this one just sounds like a character from a My Little Pony episode.
Shy-Angel - Ditto.
Beautiful - Yes. I get it. To you, she is and always will be: beautiful. Beautiful-with-a-capital-B, even. The most beautiful girl in the whole wide world. But let's just put ourselves in her shoes and fast-forward thirteen years...she's in grade eight...she sits through attendance every day in homeroom...the teacher calls out "Beautiful". I can think of at least five funny/stupid/snarky/bitchy replies, and I'm not even trying. Don't do that to your baby, friends. Just don't.
Skeeter - Apart from the obvious "hillbilly-version-of-mosquito" situation, in my preliminary (and admittedly sloppy) research, I unearthed at least four famous people with the name Skeeter. All male. (Which makes me wonder why it's okay to girl-ify boys' names, à la Jordan, Robin, Taylor, etc. but it never works the other way around...)
Boys:
Thunderbolt - Okay, I think I did this one already. My Little Pony. Right?
Little - Well, sure. Today he's little. But he won't always be. And try to picture that on a resume: "Little Johnson, Ph.D." Please don't.
Horizon - I don't even know where to go with this one.
Brave - Well, when you put it up against Thunderbolt and Little, Brave doesn't sound so bad after all, does it? Still, it's a pretty big name to live up to.
Icarus - this might actually be the best of the worst. After all, it is pulled straight from the Classics. Icarus is a name with a legacy. A tragic legacy of hubris and fiery death, but a legacy, nonetheless.
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Thank You Kaitlin Hrudeytag:www.urbanmoms.ca,2013:/losing_it//2.138892013-05-16T03:58:52Z2013-05-16T05:06:22ZThere has been a lot of media coverage lately of the youth mental health crisis, which is particularly bad here in Calgary. And it's about damn time. I've known about this crisis for a long time now, because I've been...Kathhttp://www.urbanmoms.ca/losing_it/
There has been a lot of media coverage lately of the youth mental health crisis, which is particularly bad here in Calgary. And it's about damn time. I've known about this crisis for a long time now, because I've been part of it. And it's getting worse, not better.
My oldest daughter has anxiety. And not just your garden-variety anxiety, either. I'm not talking about getting a nervous tummy before a big test or having rubbery knees before the big game or a dance recital. What I'm talking about is paralyzing, crippling Anxiety with a capital A.
Social Anxiety Disorder. Generalized Anxiety Disorder. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. They're all pieces of the same scary puzzle. And all pieces of my little girl.
All across Canada, childhood anxiety is on the rise. And it doesn't just make for kids who are nervous and cling to the apron strings longer than might be expected. This mental illness can impact children's lives in ways that many of us cannot even fathom. Kids drop out of beloved extracurricular activities, lose friends, can't continue to attend school. Without ongoing and prolonged treatment, the future of these kids can be very bleak. What if you couldn't go to school because you were too scared to leave home? What would your future look like?
As I read this article in the National Post, I felt like it was my own daughter's story:
'The breaking point was the first day of school in 2005. Kaitlin Hrudey sat, paralyzed, in her mother's car in the school parking lot. She couldn't get out.
"She literally became a prisoner of her own thoughts," her father says.'
I was so moved and inspired by Kaitlin's brave words:
"I decided to talk about this because I don't want other kids to feel like they have to keep it in, or to feel like [having a mental illness] is something embarrassing.
"It is not. It took me a long time to realize that. And you are not alone. It gets better, and it will never be as bad as it seems in the beginning. And if I can just help some people..."
And I know just how proud Kelly Hrudey is of his daughter, because it's exactly how I feel about my own brave girl. Despite all the heartbreaking setbacks, I am so, so proud of her.
"I've met superstars. I've met celebrities. I've met all these people in my life, but what Kaitlin has accomplished and what she has gone through in her life to get where she is -- it has been a long road -- and I am just so proud of her.
"I am just so proud."
Ditto.
Parents: make sure you know the five warning signs of childhood mental illness, and don't hesitate to seek out treatment.
Mood changes/swings: Persistent sadness or withdrawal.
Anxiety: Frequent, prolonged worrying.
Sudden change in grades: Poor concentration can lead to anxiety about going to school or a change in classroom success.
Heightened emotions: Exaggerated fear or anger for seemingly no reason.
Behavioral changes or acting out: Out-of-character changes in behavior or personality.
And finally thank you, Kaitlin and Kelly, for coming forward and letting the rest of us know that we're not alone. And that there is hope.
This post was not sponsored by RBC or any other organization.
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AD/HD: It's Not Just for Kids Anymoretag:www.urbanmoms.ca,2013:/losing_it//2.138472013-05-09T04:35:19Z2013-05-09T05:29:18ZNot that long ago, I went to see a psychiatrist for the first time.It's kind of a funny story how I ended up there, but the Cole's Notes version is that my kids drove me crazy. True story.But whatever the...Kathhttp://www.urbanmoms.ca/losing_it/
It's kind of a funny story how I ended up there, but the Cole's Notes version is that my kids drove me crazy. True story.
But whatever the cause, there I was sitting in her office and answering all her backgrounder-type questions with half my brain, while wondering with the other half how someone so young could possibly have spent enough time in university to be a qualified psychiatrist. Eyes scanning her office walls looking for possible forgeries of medical degrees, I absent-mindedly responded to her queries about stress, worry, insomnia and so-on.
At the end of our first chat, she posed the big question: "do you think you might have AD/HD?"
To which I replied, "I'm sure I do."
After a few more visits, and a lot of tests and questionnaires, she confirmed the diagnosis. I tested strongly positive for adult combined-type AD/HD. Well, it wasn't really that much of a shock. I'm kind of known in my family and circle of friends as being the one who's so absent-minded I'd forget my own head if it wasn't screwed on. I'm late for everything, and that's if I don't forget our appointment or engagement altogether. I tend to be impulsive (very) and I have the tendency to become hyper-focused on certain non-productive pursuits (Facebook, YouTube, Netflix, novels) to the exclusion of important things that really need to be done. In conversation, I'm like a magpie - I jump around whenever a new, shiny idea pops into my head or field of vision.
Some of these characteristics have never been particularly troublesome, and some of them I even welcomed. Not being bogged down by details (ever) allowed me to embrace big-picture thinking in a way many people I know simply cannot. But, if I'm honest, most of these traits have caused me some kind of problems at work or in relationships. I've felt stupid, careless and lazy more times than I can count, but despite an ocean of good intentions and coping mechanisms, I never found anything that helped in a significant way.
Until that day in my psychiatrist's office. The first help she offered was to explain the mechanism of AD/HD to me. She told me it's the most physiologically-based of the mental illnesses, caused by my brain's inability to produce sufficient dopamine. The result of which is an under-stimulated brain, which seems backward, doesn't it? But think of it this way: if your brain does not get enough of your body's natural stimulant (dopamine), you'll seek out stimulation in other ways. You'll obsessively watch hours of Netflix while the laundry sits beside you unfolded. You'll drown yourself in a good book while the bathrooms need to be cleaned. You'll hang out with friends enjoying a juicy conversation when you should have left 15 minutes ago to pick up your kids from school. And coffee. If you're like me, you'll drink a lot of coffee, and at all hours of the day or night. My doctor told me that I was likely self-medicating with the caffeine in my six daily cups (2 in the afternoon) of java.
And with that explanation, so much guilt and embarrassment just kind of melted away. All those things I thought were character flaws that I just couldn't budge? I suddenly saw them in a new light. I don't for a moment think that being diagnosed with AD/HD gets me off the hook and gives me a lifetime pass to be late or careless, but it helps me see that there is a legitimate medical reason why I struggle with certain things more than others do. And that helps.
Another thing that helps is developing some new coping strategies to help keep me on top of all those details I find it so hard to manage. Putting everything (I mean everything, even tasks like "make lunch for work tomorrow") in my iPhone calendar. Setting my alarm 45 minutes earlier. Ignoring TV and internet when things need to get done. Making lists. Doing one thing at a time. Breaking large tasks into manageable chunks. You get the idea.
And then there's the question of medication. Taking an AD/HD medication might help my brain to function a little bit more like a 'normal' person's, freeing me up to feel less stressed and less like I'm always behind the eight ball. It might help me get on track and cross a few (or a few hundred) things I've been procrastinating doing off my to do list. It might even improve my overall sense of well-being. The cons? Well, there is the tendency to experience a reduction in appetite and therefore some weight loss.
Well, when you put it like that...
So I agreed to try a medication for a month. After a week I've had very few side-effects (dry mouth is the worst of them) and many, many positive effects. I'm keeping a close eye on how I feel, and I'm asking for feedback from those close to me to make sure that my behaviour doesn't change in any odd ways. And other than actually being on time for everything this week and accomplishing an array of impressive tasks, so far there have been no major personality changes.
Today, things are looking good for this distractible, impulsive lady. (Wait - was that a squirrel?)
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The First Timetag:www.urbanmoms.ca,2013:/losing_it//2.138082013-05-02T08:26:31Z2013-05-02T08:57:27ZYou know when you go to a place for the first time, and you are full of expectations of what it will be like, and it turns out to be nothing like you expected, and yet everything you expected all...Kathhttp://www.urbanmoms.ca/losing_it/
That was Las Vegas for me.
I flew in Friday night, and flew home Sunday evening, and in the intervening forty-eight hours, somehow every stereotype I had of Vegas was simultaneously smashed and reinforced. The strip was everything I expected it to be, and yet so much more.
I loved the bright lights and huge energy. It made me feel a little bit young again. I loved the landmarks: Luxor's obsidian pyramid and bright beacon, or the settings for two of my favourite movies.
Seeing the fountains at the Bellagio (Ocean's Eleven) was a highlight:
And a walk through the unforgettable lobby of Caesars Palace was also a must ("you probably get this a lot. This isn't the real Caesar's Palace is it?"):
I had heard the food in Vegas was incredible, and the city didn't disappoint - the tapas at Julian Serrano in the Aria was an absolute high note. Seriously: those stuffed figs (centre) may well be the best dish I've ever eaten in my life.
We ate and drank like princesses, we took in a show (Cirque du Soleil's Mystère), we even lost some money in the casino (well, okay...I lost five bucks playing the slots. Not exactly a high roller, over here). In short: we did everything a girl should do when visiting Las Vegas for the very first time.
But when everything was said and done, it wasn't the touristy things that made the biggest impression on me. The best, the absolute best part of my first trip to Las Vegas? Hands-down it was the time spent with loved ones: my two sisters Jen and Allyson and my cousin Margot. I love you guys so much!
Oh. And the pool. Let's not forget the pool...
Best. Weekend. EVER. Seriously, I can't even. There are no words.
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Who We Aretag:www.urbanmoms.ca,2013:/losing_it//2.137692013-04-25T04:13:21Z2013-04-25T04:59:21ZLately I've been watching a lot of How I Met Your Mother on Netflix. It's totally a hilarious show and I find it to be a nice little indulgence after a busy, busy day.There's one particular thing about this show...Kathhttp://www.urbanmoms.ca/losing_it/
There's one particular thing about this show that I really, really enjoy, and that's us. That's because one of the main characters - Robin Scherbatsky (played by Canadian actress Cobie Smulders) - is Canadian. As you would expect, there are times when the writers of the show hit the Canadian references perfectly, and other times when they are just a little bit off: take for example the oft-repeated pronunciation of "a-boat" for about. This despite the assertion by many long-voweled Americans that we Canucks pronounce it "a-boot". I personally believe we pronounce the word perfectly, and they say "a-baawt". But hey, whatevs.
All this watching (I will admit to sitting through five or six episodes in a row - thank god I figured out how to take my Netflix watching off my Facebook feed) has got me to thinking though. If Robin is the lens through which Canadians are viewed south of the border, what does it say about us?
We're very, very nice. And we love donuts. And we're afraid of the dark (or at least we don't like it very much):
We are fanatical about hockey (we also say "eh" and have a slightly Irish accent):
We're obsessed with Tim Horton's:
And nobody takes us seriously:
I'm not the type to get all sensitive over some good fun, but I'm not sure the writers of the show have 100% nailed us, either.
Here's my list of things that they got right:
We are nice, mostly.
We do love Tim Hortons.
We do have a slightly different way of pronouncing some vowels.
Most of us love - or at least appreciate - hockey.
What they got wrong?
That random weird accent Robin has in the scene with the hockey stick. That is not a Canadian accent - the actress is from Vancouver after all - just let her speak normally and you're guaranteed to have an authentic Canadian accent! But I get the point - it's funny.
The thing about the dark. I mean, we don't love it, but...
Our money isn't a joke. It's awesome and plastic and yes: colourful.
It's interesting, though, to be able to get a glimpse of how we're seen by our neighbours. It's not often that you get a chance to see yourself reflected in the eyes of another.
So what do you think? What makes us uniquely Canadian? Are we more than just blue fivers and Timmies and hockey?
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Cheerleading and Lessons for Lifetag:www.urbanmoms.ca,2013:/losing_it//2.137292013-04-18T00:44:00Z2013-04-18T05:02:41Z"Why don't you ever write about our cheerleading?" Charlotte asked me the other day (after blog-stalking me until the wee hours late one night, but that's another other bottle of wine, as one of my dear friends is fond of...Kathhttp://www.urbanmoms.ca/losing_it/"Why don't you ever write about our cheerleading?" Charlotte asked me the other day (after blog-stalking me until the wee hours late one night, but that's another other bottle of wine, as one of my dear friends is fond of saying).
It's a fair question, actually. I write about a range of different things - lots of them related to parenting - but I've only once blogged about cheerleading, exclusively. So why not? I don't think there's any one reason in particular. Perhaps because cheer has consumed so much of our family life these past nine months it feels like I must have blogged about it? Or maybe it's because the photos and videos I took all have so many images of other people's children, and I respect online privacy, yo. But really, there's no reason why I shouldn't write about our own experiences and gosh, I'm just bursting with pride in them both (and all their teammates and coaches) so here it comes!
First of all, cheer is pure awesomeness.
It's a mixture of dance and gymnastics, all wrapped up with a totally cool and very impressive bow called stunts. You just have to see the stuff to believe it. The competitions are exciting and loud and fun and totally exhilarating. I really enjoyed watching my girls and their team at practices, but the first time I went to a competition I got it.
It was just like a massive pep rally. The energy level in that room was off. the. hook. Loud music, teams cheering, parents cheering, athletes leaving it all on the mat. And then when my girls got out there...and overcoming their nerves ran onto the mat, revving up the crowd and totally rocking their routine? PROUD isn't a big enough word for what I felt.
That's not the least of it, either. This sport has a reputation for being shallow and catty (no thanks to TLC's reality show Cheer Perfection). And no doubt there are some circles in which this may be true (let's face it - put a bunch of girls and their moms together and throw competition into the mix and, well, it won't always turn out nicely). But our cheer experience has been nothing but positive, a fact I credit to the incredible coaching staff at our gym and the awesome girls on the team. And the cheer families, too - there's no mom drama on our cheerleading team! In fact, one of the things that makes me proud about our club is that we cheer for all the teams - not just our own. Our Stars teams won the 'spirit stick' (a sort of good sportsmanship award) in each of their divisions at one recent competition, a testament to the girls and their fans. Stars parents represent!
By being a part of competitive cheerleading, my girls have learned amazing skills: physical skills like tumbling and stunts, and life skills, like teamwork and sportsmanship. They've learned to be responsible and productive members of a team. My girls know that when a stunt fails it's never one person's fault - everyone in the stunt group is responsible. They know that the only thing that really matters is that you gave it your all - trophies are just the icing on the cake. They know that they are strongest when every single member of the team is present. They know that sometimes winning means looking into the face of adversity and giving it your all anyway.
And those things are important things to know, at any age, in any area of life.
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My Five Keys to Success (and a WINNER!)tag:www.urbanmoms.ca,2013:/losing_it//2.136692013-04-08T19:51:45Z2013-04-11T01:56:49ZCongratulations to our third Weight Watchers contest winner Teresa! Way to go Teresa, you've just taken the first step in your journey towards a happier, healthier you. And speaking of journeys, I'm well on the way in my own weight...Kathhttp://www.urbanmoms.ca/losing_it/
And speaking of journeys, I'm well on the way in my own weight loss journey. I've been at this for 10 weeks now and I've lost 12 pounds. That's still right on track for the one to two pounds per week that Weight Watchers recommends, and I'm pleased as can be with my results. I have more that I'd like to do - in fact, I'm only just about half-way towards my ultimate goal, but with some steady success under my belt, I feel confident that I'll make it there. And look out, summer - I'm planning to spend many a day poolside and dockside, and I'll be sporting a brand new bathing suit and feeling great in it as well.
When I look back on the last ten weeks and reflect on my progress, I can see that a number of important factors have been at play.
1. DECISION. First, I owned my situation and decided that I wanted to change it. I took a good, clear look at my present body and lifestyle, and decided to improve both of them.
2. GOAL. Rather than striking out at random, I gave sober thought to my weight loss goal. Is it realistic for me to try to look like a woman in her twenties or a celebrity who spends hours every day working out with a trainer and has a personal chef? No. I set a realistic goal that would help me balance a healthy, comfortable me with the other realities of my life (working full-time, single mom, food- and wine-lover). I broke that bigger goal into smaller stepping-stones so that I'd have sign posts and reasons to celebrate on the road to my ultimate goal.
3. TRACKING. For me the most important key to success is the Weight Watchers tracking tool - tracking keeps me accountable and in control.
4. TOOLS FOR SUCCESS. Accessing the other tools that Weight Watchers offers gives me a wide variety of strategies to employ at any time. Maybe I need a little boost or reminder, or maybe things are going well and I want to push myself a little bit more - well, the tools are there to support me.
5. BIG PICTURE PERSPECTIVE. Keeping a bigger picture perspective helps me manage the inevitable ups and downs that come with - well, with life! Not everything is going to be perfect all the time, and I have had (and will no doubt have again) some blips in my journey. I don't always make perfect choices, and I don't always get perfect results each day or week. But I know that in the long run, my weight is trending down, down, down and my healthy habits are trending up, up, up. It's all about being able to see the forest without being blinded by the trees.
Putting it all together you can see how my success hasn't hinged on any one thing - this is really the key, for me. I can't put all my eggs in one basket, because I know I won't be able to sustain it. So farewell to all the fads - Weight Watchers 360˚ is a program that I can incorporate into my lifestyle long-term. And that can only mean a better and better me.
Bring it on!
My after (so far!) photo:
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Pulling Backtag:www.urbanmoms.ca,2013:/losing_it//2.136452013-04-04T01:24:57Z2013-04-04T02:55:11ZSo I haven't been immune to all the talk on parenting sites and the media in general about screens, and the inordinate amount of time we spend on them. It's just that I was never all that inclined to do...Kathhttp://www.urbanmoms.ca/losing_it/
But a few weeks ago I sat down with my daughter who suffers from severe anxiety disorders and we crafted a routine that we both thought would be most conducive to helping her manage her anxiety and return to regular, full-time attendance at school (school avoidance/refusal is the last and most intransigent of her many symptoms).
Surprisingly, my little social media addict (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Skype) suggested dialling back her online time as part of this pro mental health agenda. I readily agreed. So now, instead of my kids having essentially unlimited screen time (except when I would realize how long they'd been on, shake my head and yell at them to get off), they now have a much more restricted schedule.
Rule number one is that my older daughter has no access to electronics -- none whatsoever -- on days she misses school due to anxiety. It's called minimizing secondary gain and to be honest, I was already doing it to a degree most of the time. That means I pack up the MacBook, iPad, 3DS, iPod, cell phone, portable DVD player, power cord for the iMac and the power bar that supplies electrons to our TV, cable box, XBox and Wii, and then I take it all to work. Plus as a bonus I assign her schoolwork to help combat the near-Amish boredom (occupational perk of being a teacher and a mom!).
But on her successful days (fingers crossed there will be more of these), she gets to go online after school until dinner. Given her bus schedule and my work schedule, that's usually between an hour and an hour and a half. Plus, twice a week she has cheerleading practice so she gets no time those days as we have to leave for the gym the second we both get home.
After dinner, we either go for a walk, go to the YMCA or just veg out with TV or a book. Either way, the internet is off-limits after supper.
When we first crafted this schedule I was, to say the least, skeptical. I knew it would work for a day or two and then I fully expected slippage. Well, to be honest, I expected begging, cajoling, bargaining, sneaking and possibly an ultimatum or two. But (knock wood) so far, so good. As I sit here writing this, my daughters are sitting -- happily and miraculously getting along and drawing at the kitchen table.
Turns out that pulling back from screens has had some pretty awesome benefits for this family. Here's some of the artwork they created! #proudludditemommy
Maddy, my little mind-reader and inspirational speaker, drew this picture of the beach in Monterey, with the caption "It's going to be OK". God, I love that kid.
Charlotte likes to draw anime portraits...brilliant, that one.
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'Rithmetictag:www.urbanmoms.ca,2013:/losing_it//2.136062013-03-28T01:21:08Z2013-03-28T05:32:26ZAs a teacher I often get asked questions from my layperson friends about their children's school lives, and honestly, I'm happy to help out when I can. And perhaps it's not that surprising, but the two most common themes I...Kathhttp://www.urbanmoms.ca/losing_it/
Reading
Math
Times change and schools change, but the three Rs are still the going concern for parents, it seems (or at least two of them are, anyway. I do find it interesting that I almost never get asked about writing, despite the fact that the argument can be made that learning how to communicate clearly and effectively using the written word is, quite possibly, the single most important skill your child will need upon graduation from school. But I digress...fodder for another post, perhaps).
Now that my kids are older, and their friends are older (and therefore my friends are also older), the questions about reading acquisition and decoding and comprehension and Dolch lists and levelled readers have all begun to wane. Somehow (as I knew they would, and as I told many of their worried parents they would) they have all managed to learn how to read. Hallelujah!
But there's something that my kids - at 12 and 9 - still don't know how to do. In fact, lots of kids still don't know how to do it. And that thing? That skill that was deemed to be so necessary back in the mid-seventies when I was having it beaten (metaphorically and with a spanking or two) into me? In my opinion, it's something that they probably should still know how to do.
That skill is mental multiplication (and division, by extension). It's those nasty old times tables that we were supposed to memorize and that Mrs. Harper spanked me for not knowing.
Now, don't get me wrong. I'm all for reform mathematics (which is what we in da biz call the way we teach math these days). Having been one of those "math is hard" kids all through my elementary and high school years (despite being an excellent student and taking home top honours), I found that it was only once I began teaching this curriculum that mathematics finally made sense to me. I understood the underlying principles, I grasped the interconnecting patterns, and today while driving, I (correctly) multiplied 77x5 in my head. IN MY HEAD PEOPLE.
So no, I'm not going to bash reform math and I'm also not going to bash my teacher colleagues. We totally rock as a profession, and we're preparing a new generation of kids who are mathematical thinkers instead of human calculators who only know one way to solve a problem, and that, my friends, is all to the good.
But we may have a little bit thrown a wee baby out with some of the bathwater. Now: I would never recommend going back to the bad old days of teaching only one algorithm each for addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. And I don't relish spending days drilling my students on their times tables and so help me God I don't want to pull out the mad minutes ever again. But by golly it sure makes everyone's life easier if these kids know their basic facts up to 9x9.
I'm sure lots of moms and dads (and probably some math teachers, too) are sitting on the other side of this screen nodding their heads. I vividly remember fielding a concern from my oldest daughter's teacher: "she just doesn't understand the order of operations! She got every one of these problems wrong!" Panicked, I looked at her test. Turns out on closer inspection, she did all the operations in the right order, she just flubbed EVERY. SINGLE. multiplication step. Single digits, and she got them all wrong. Proud, proud mama. (not)
So although yes: we have calculators and iPhones and apps and for sure by the time our kids go to university they'll have some kind of Google implant that solves quadratic equations and displays the answer on the inside of your eyelids, there are going to be times between now and then when it would be convenient to just know that 7x6=42.
So it begs the question...what to do? Well, like with any skill, mastery takes practice and time. But that doesn't mean you have to sit your child down at the kitchen table and shout at her to memorize her times tables. There are some strategies that will make the whole experience a little easier and a lot more fun. I've gathered a few ideas here for you. Try a few and when you find one that works, everything will click into place. And then homework time will be that much easier (yeah, you WISH!)
iPad/iPod Apps
Let's face it, everything's more fun on an electronic device. I don't know if the apps I chose are available on Android, but many are.
I like this one because it supports the vocabulary that children will encounter in school (repeated addition, arrays, etc.) and builds from basic to more advanced concepts and skills.
This one is fun and engaging and is a good tool for drilling (once the child understands multiplication and division and just needs to practice, practice, practice). It's good because it also has addition and subtraction, so for those younger children still in grades 1-4, this is also a good choice.
This one goes about reinforcing multiplication/division skills and math vocabulary (factor, multiple, etc.) through different survival puzzles. Totally fun and addicting and worth the 99cent price tag.
Websites, etc.
Hey, they want to be on the computer all the time anyway, why not make them earn that Minecraft time by putting in some math practice first?
These days it's not uncommon to hear parents complain, "I can't even figure out how to help my third-grader with his math homework!" For those moments (and any others, actually), I recommend Khan Academy. Founder Salman Khan started off tutoring a cousin, and when others began asking for help, he decided to publish some helpful videos to YouTube. Word spread and he was able to quit his job as a hedge-fund manager back in 2009 to work on Khan Academy full-time. Access to the site is free and you can learn anything from elementary math to art history to macroeconomics. It's free and it's top-quality. Actually, even if your child isn't struggling, I would recommend Khan Academy!
I love IXL. It's used in over 150 countries and they have a Canadian edition that caters to each provincial and territorial curriculum, so you can be sure your child is getting support in exactly what they're learning in school. It has a tracking tool for parents (or teachers) so you can monitor your child's progress. Practice activities are designed to stimulate both the left and right sides of the brain (which plain old drilling doesn't do) and this helps promote retention and higher-level thinking. Children earn badges for mastered skills and are very engaged when working on it. The best part? If you get a problem wrong, IXL walks you through the correct solution and makes sure you understand before moving on to the next question. It's almost as good as having a teacher sitting beside you as you do your work. I've used this in the classroom myself and I was pleased with the results. It's $9.95 a month or $79 a year, but when you consider most qualified teachers charge between $40-$50 per hour for tutoring, $79 is a bargain.
This game is a lot of fun for kids and adults alike, although it is difficult to earn medals and the little animated professor can sometimes be a bit of a jerk. So if your child is sensitive or lacks confidence, you may want to give this one a miss (at least at first). There are also other math practice games you can download through the Wii's internet connectivity feature that are worth a try.
Oldschool (literally)
Despite all the great techie stuff there is out there today, sometimes there's just no substitute for doing it the good old-fashioned way. I don't personally recommend drilling, but there are lots of fun non-electronic ways to reinforce basic math skills, and I do encourage you to try these, as well. As with anything, coming at a problem from a variety of approaches will yield the best results, so when you're tired of seeing your child staring at the computer screen or the iPad's battery is dead, you should definitely try some of these.
Flash Cards
For a new twist on an old classic, cut some carstock out in the shape of isosceles triangles. Use one "number family" for each card, and reinforce all the facts related to that one family at once. So for example: 7x8=56 is related to 8x7=56 and 56÷8=7 and 56÷7=8. Have your child make these cards herself, and then have fun drilling by calling out "seven and eight!" or "fifty-six!" and see what facts your child can remember. Then look at the card together to see if she's right. Here's an example of what the cards look like:
War (and racing rectangles extension)
You remember the old card game? Well, this works pretty much the same. I usually take out all the face cards (aces are ones in this game) because realistically it's only necessary to know your basic multiplication facts up to 9 (you can always group by tens and single digits later on, and kids are taught how to do this).
This is a two-player game. Deal out the entire deck between the two players. Each player turns over the top card simultaneously, and the first player to call out the correct product wins the hand and takes the cards. So for example, if I turn over a 9 and my partner turns over a 4, the first person to say 36! is the winner. Once all the cards are done, the winner is the person with the most pairs in their pile of winnings.
You can extend this game further with a piece of graph paper and two coloured pencils. Play the game as usual, but the winner of the hand then draws a rectangle on the graph paper (with their coloured pencil) and writes the product inside the rectangle. Following the example above, I'd make a rectangle that is 4 squares wide by 9 squares long (or vice-versa) and write 36 in the middle of it. If the other player wins, they do the same but with their colour of pencil crayon. Keep playing until the paper is full and there's no space to draw any more rectangles (recycle the deck of cards if necessary). The winner is the person with the most rectangles in their colour. Writing helps to reinforce, and so does using colour. This will also help your child when they cover the concept of area in their geometry unit.
Songs
Although I'm linking to YouTube, I don't include this strategy in the online category because really the fact is you just learn the songs by following along on YouTube and then you should be practicing them offline. They may seem a bit cheesy, but the fact is, singing is one of the best ways to learn (here - try putting the following words in alphabetical order: swan, elephant, purple, weather, broccoli - did you sing your ABCs as you did it? See, I told you!)
The bottom line is that there are many ways to help your child become fluent with basic multiplication facts - try a variety of approaches and see what works best for you and your child. Do you have a favourite tip or tool that you use? Share it in the comments below if you do.
This post is not sponsored by any website or app. If I recommended something here, it's because I just genuinely like it and think it's worth recommending.
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Taking Back the Powertag:www.urbanmoms.ca,2013:/losing_it//2.135602013-03-21T02:40:53Z2013-03-21T03:39:13ZI haven't written a lot about my daughter's struggle with anxiety and school refusal, partly because it's as much her story to tell as it is mine, and also because...well, to be perfectly honest it's embarrassing. It makes me feel...Kathhttp://www.urbanmoms.ca/losing_it/I haven't written a lot about my daughter's struggle with anxiety and school refusal, partly because it's as much her story to tell as it is mine, and also because...well, to be perfectly honest it's embarrassing. It makes me feel like a bad parent. Like I've failed my daughter and I've failed as a parent - my most important job.
Bottom line: dealing with severe anxiety and school refusal (my daughter has been diagnosed with severe Social Anxiety Disorder and Generalized Anxiety Disorder - along with a few other things) is no easy task for either the child suffering from them or the parents. So in order to help me understand my child and her irrational behaviour, I reached out for help.
I reached out to community agencies. To her teacher, her school's principal, a school board psychologist. I reached out to our family physician, two paediatricians and three psychologists in private practice. In my desperation, I even went to the emergency department at the Children's Hospital where my daughter was evaluated by a psychiatric nurse and a pediatric psychiatrist. Our whole family went to therapy together. I researched the internet and read books until I thought I would go cross-eyed. I despaired of finding help.
Ultimately (actually, five years after my search began) my daughter was referred to a specialized youth and adolescent mental health clinic run by Alberta Health Services. I felt hope for the first time in five years. I thought we had found the holy grail and that my girl would be "fixed". My daughter was evaluated, both parents were interviewed, we filled out lots of paperwork and completed many tests and assessments. For the first time, my daughter was formally diagnosed. We started treatment: weekly cognitive behavioural therapy with a psychologist and a trial of medication (an SSRI often used to treat depression and OCD - also an anxiety disorder). Things seemed to improve. She started (very slowly) returning to school. I was still hopeful. Life was - if not good, then at least better.
And then she regressed. Significantly. And the school refusal was back. And then - paradoxically - the clinic stopped treating her. She missed about 50% of grade six, and is still struggling in grade seven, even after having been placed in a special class for children with severe internalizing disorders in our public school system. And yet my child hasn't seen a psychologist for a counselling session since last June.
And I have completely lost the ability to cope with any of it. To have an atypical child means meetings and doctor's appointments and arguments and advocacy and self-education and taking classes and missing a lot of work and sleepless nights and neglecting your other children and...are you getting some of the picture?
When we were initially referred to the clinic where my daughter is (supposedly) being treated, I was elated. Now I am completely fed up. I'm tired of being told "this is not a one person job - you can't do it all on your own" only to have that supportive statement followed up with "who in your family or neighbours or friends can take your child to school every day?" How about this? NOBODY CAN. I've asked. I've tried it all before. We've danced that dance, and it didn't work...and when I came to see the professionals I was expecting something different.
I'm so tired. I'm tired and I'm fed up with:
the blame
the judgements
the unsolicited advice
the anxiety itself
So after a week of being overwhelmed and collapsing into tears at the least provocation, I made some decisions. I decided I needed to take the power back: both for myself and for my daughter. From now on, I will not go into meetings and appointments as the humble supplicant I have been to this point. From now on, the decisions and the power will be in MY hands. From now on, I will listen and evaluate but I will TRUST NOONE BUT MYSELF.
Because the bottom line is this: if after more than a year in the 'care' of a team of specialized mental health professionals my daughter has made no progress: something needs to change. (I put the word care in quotations because in truth, my daughter hasn't been to a true counselling session in nine months - doesn't really seem like a lot of 'care' going on there.)
So from now on, I have the power in this relationship. In consultation with her father and also - and this I think is key - with my daughter, I will decide where she goes to school. I will demand that she is given the proper treatment (the gold standard for anxiety and school refusal is, by all accounts, CBT). I will request testing when I feel it's appropriate or necessary. I will not allow myself to be talked out of decisions I feel are best, nor will I allow myself to be patted down, called pessimistic or have my judgement as a parent questioned.
Not anymore.
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Six Weeks, Nine Poundstag:www.urbanmoms.ca,2013:/losing_it//2.135292013-03-12T21:54:18Z2013-03-12T22:11:55Z Before I get into talking about myself (oh, the self-indulgent world we bloggers live in) let me offer up an enthusiastic congratulations to our first Weight Watchers contest winner, Kim! Congratulations, Kim! You're taking the first step in an...Kathhttp://www.urbanmoms.ca/losing_it/
Do you feel ready to begin your own weight loss journey? Well today could be your lucky day! Weight Watchers is offering another membership to a lucky UrbanMoms member! To be entered in this contest, simply comment below with an answer to my question at the end of this post.
And now back to my journey: six weeks in, and I'm down 9 pounds. To some, that might not seem like such great success, but I'm actually quite smugly satisfied with myself. These days we're bombarded by ads on Facebook and articles in the checkout aisle promising that we can drop four dress sizes in 30 days --if we only eat the newest superfood or follow the current workout fad. But I wasn't born yesterday, you see. I've managed to chalk up enough life experience to know that the way to achieve long-term success at anything in life is to do it in increments. Slow and steady wins the race, dontcha know?
And it's more true in weight loss than in many other pursuits. Weight Watchers 360° is a sensible plan to help you lose weight at a healthy rate of about 1-2 pounds per week. By that standard, I'm right on track. And the incremental changes I've made in my day-to-day life (paying closer attention to what I eat, moving more, drinking more water) are healthy habits that I'll be able to keep for life. Plus, since I'm choosing foods I like, I never feel deprived. In fact, I don't even feel like I'm on a diet - I wouldn't even consider calling this program a diet. It's more like a toolkit that empowers me to make better choices in many areas of my life, all of which are supporting me to achieve a healthier weight.
And these better choices will help me transition from winter to spring. As the warmer weather beckons, I'm inspired to get outdoors more, and I'm looking forward to using that to my advantage. I can see myself earning some activity points by getting out and exploring the extensive network of paths in my neck of the woods - either on foot or perched atop a brand new bicycle (it's going to be a birthday gift to myself). One great thing about being more active is that you can earn activity points to add to your daily points allowance, giving you more flexibility when making food choices.
The beauty of getting out on a bike is that it's something the whole family can enjoy - I can pack-up a picnic and cycle with my daughters down to the beautiful park on the banks of the Bow river just a short distance from home. From there we can explore the riverside paths on our bikes or park them and blaze a trail on foot through the natural areas nearby. It's a great way to spend time together while enjoying the outdoors and also doing what our bodies were meant to do...moving!
What about you? What outdoor activities do you look most forward to resuming once the snows have abated and you can come out of hibernation?
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What's on YOUR Plate today?tag:www.urbanmoms.ca,2013:/losing_it//2.134972013-03-04T07:17:09Z2013-03-04T07:51:33ZAs you can imagine, I've been doing a lot of thinking about what's on my plate lately, what with all the focus on weight loss and healthier eating. And as so often happens when you put a fair bit of...Kathhttp://www.urbanmoms.ca/losing_it/
As you can imagine, I've been doing a lot of thinking about what's on my plate lately, what with all the focus on weight loss and healthier eating. And as so often happens when you put a fair bit of thought into a thing, I find I've begun to look at it all a little differently.
You see, when you plan your meals and eat mindfully, you change your entire point of view about food. You're no longer stuffing anything into your face just to satisfy a craving or suppress a feeling, you're actually making a conscious choice about nourishing your body.
A weight loss journey can be very helpful in this regard. As you track your daily food intake, you begin to pay attention to the constituent parts of your food - grams of protein and carbohydrates and fats - and you notice how the interplay between these parts contributes to your fullness, satisfaction and energy levels.
But it's become more than just this. As I've focused more and more on what foods I choose to put into my body, I've also begun to ask myself: where does that food come from? There are a ton of issues you can obsess over here: organic, locally-sourced, non-GMO...the list goes on. But I just happen to be an animal lover, and so my attention has naturally been drawn towards the condition of farm animals.
According to the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA), most farm animals live in extremely cramped conditions. There are 20 times more farm animals than people in Canada but a drive through the countryside doesn't give you that impression.
Most Canadian farm animals spend their lives crammed into tiny pens, battery cages or crates inside windowless barns. Anyone who's ever driven by one of Alberta's cattle feed lots can attest to this first-hand.
So what's a meat-loving gal like me to do? Well, by making more humane food choices when I shop and eat (such as choosing pasture-raised animal products, cage-free eggs, etc.), I can use my purchasing power to change the conditions in which farm animals live. After reading some sobering facts about the conditions of farm animals in Canada, I took a moment to take the WSPA pledge and commit to making life better for farm animals. As a thank you for taking the pledge, I was able to "Farmify" my face, et voila!
I am now a cow. When you "Farmify" yourself, you can elect to become beef, pork or poultry, but I chose to go bovine for three main reasons:
I live in Alberta, widely known for its delicious beef.
I love beef. It is my biggest weakness. I once followed a completely vegetarian diet for over six months until I was undone by recurring thoughts of burgers.
I wanted the horns.
Anyway, le moo.
If my pathetic mug doesn't make you change your mind about ILOs (intensive livestock operations), then you should really read the WSPA's report: "What's on Your Plate". It's a real eye-opener.
This blog post is sponsored by WSPA. At the World Society for the Protection of Animals, we have worked to expose animal cruelty and prevent animal suffering for more than 30 years. Working with individuals, organizations and governments across the globe, our campaigns range from ending the mass suffering of industrially farmed animals to protecting animals in disasters. Consultative status with the United Nations means we have a unique international platform to prove that the lives of animals are inextricably linked to our own, and now more than ever is the time to stop their suffering.
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Warm Bodies: Movie Girl's Debut Review!tag:www.urbanmoms.ca,2013:/losing_it//2.134432013-02-21T00:35:16Z2013-02-21T02:37:32ZI'm pleased to welcome a guest blogger to Losing It this week: twelve year-old pop-culture addict, Movie Girl. She's bringing us her take on the newest instalment in the seemingly interminable string of zombie entertainment -- Warm Bodies.:) hai (thats...Kathhttp://www.urbanmoms.ca/losing_it/
I'm pleased to welcome a guest blogger to Losing It this week: twelve year-old pop-culture addict, Movie Girl. She's bringing us her take on the newest instalment in the seemingly interminable string of zombie entertainment -- Warm Bodies.
:) hai (thats how we greet each other nowadays) i figured it was time i did a review of a great movie. Warm Bodies its a mixture of zombie and rom-com. now how could anyone say no to that!!?
the producers of the movie describe it this way: WARM BODIES is a funny new twist on a classic love story about a zombie and a human survivor who form a special relationship in their struggle for survival.
the classic love story that gets "twisted" in Warm Bodies (as even i could figure out) is Romeo and Juliet - like two kids from totally different worlds who fall in love? and the twist is that the boy in this "boy meets girl" flick is actually -- uh, how do you put it delicately? dead. actually, to be more specific he's a zombie. the movie is set in post-apocalypse America (zombie apocalypse of course, my mom tells me that movies about something called a nuclear apocalypse were popular when she was a teenager).
the boy (his name is just "R" because he can't remember his pre-zombie name but he knows it starts with "Rrrrrr...") and girl (Julie) meet under pretty grisly circumstances, but eventually one thing leads to another and then it's like two hearts beat as one. wait a minute? two hearts? hold on - zombies don't have heart beats...but this one does.
this movie has a three awesome things going for it. first, it's romantic, and who doesn't love a little romance? second, it's funny. like the opening lines, "what am i doing with my life? i'm so pale...i should get out more." lol! third, it's about zombies. i love zombies. you love zombies. everyone loves zombies.
and don't pass on this movie just because you find zombies scary - even the "bonies" (the really far-gone zombies in this movie) aren't as much scary as they are menacing. there's also not much in the way of goriness. the film is rated 14A but younger kids who aren't too easily scared would be fine.
but don't just take it from me...check out the first four minutes of the film here:
oh and an interesting fact: the two main characters, R and Julie, are both played by foreign actors. Teresa Palmer (Julie) was born in Australia, and Nicholas Hoult (who my mom insists looks like a young Tom Cruise - ew) was born in England. both actors pull off flawless american accents.
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What Valentine's Day Means to Me (Now)tag:www.urbanmoms.ca,2013:/losing_it//2.134132013-02-14T06:14:38Z2013-02-14T07:25:18ZThere was a time, in my teens and twenties, that Valentine's Day, for me, meant spending the day in a self-indulgent haze of yearning and loss, self-deprecation and bewilderment. I was a smart, attractive and strong young woman, but I...Kathhttp://www.urbanmoms.ca/losing_it/
There was a time, in my teens and twenties, that Valentine's Day, for me, meant spending the day in a self-indulgent haze of yearning and loss, self-deprecation and bewilderment. I was a smart, attractive and strong young woman, but I found myself perpetually wandering the streets of my youth alone. You see, I was not a girl that boys asked out. Ever. If a guy asked for my phone number, I'd spend the afternoon walking on air, only to crash down to earth again in the evening when he called and I discovered the only reason he rang was to ask if he could copy my History notes before the big test.
I even languished through studying for two degrees without a single real date or boyfriend. I took a friend of my younger sister's boyfriend to my grad formal, and, depressed about the fact that I had made it all the way through university without a single relationship, got totally wasted and puked all over my strapless little black dress. (Oh and by the way, vomit ruins velvet. Now you know.)
So those were pretty much the terrible years in which I wished February 14 and all its cloying, gushy advertising accoutrement would pass me by unnoticed. But then in my late twenties, I had a year or two of Valentine's Day as all the advertisers and card-makers tell us it should be. I was surprised with a pair of tickets to see Phantom of the Opera one year, I received some cards with lovey-dovey sentiments and heart-shaped boxes of chocolates in others. But as in almost all marriages, that blip of joy and romance and over-the-top Valentine's Day gestures belonged in the early years, and then children came along, and a mortgage and careers and habituation and then it was mostly just a case of trying not to forget to pick up a card on the way home from work. And that's equally true for both of us; I won't pretend it was one-sided.
So here we are now, and I'm staring down at the second February 14th since my separation, and I'm feeling remarkably sanguine about it all. Maybe it's because I really have no regrets related to my single situation, even though I know my ex has moved on and has a new woman in his life. I do not feel -- right now -- as though I'm missing out on anything by not being in a relationship (if only I could've had this same insight at seventeen, or even 27!) In fact, as of 2006, 51.5 per cent of people in Canada over age 15 were unmarried, according to census data. Which means that we singles now outnumber all the married folk out there. So I'm actually in the majority (although advertisers would like to make me feel otherwise).
But at this point in my life I feel completely fulfilled (if sometimes a little overwhelmed). I'm extremely lucky to be mom to two wonderful daughters who use up all the energy (emotional and otherwise) that is left over at the end of each delightful day I spend with my lovely students. So I'm twice blessed: in motherhood and in a career I love. And it's that love that I choose to celebrate this year for Valentine's Day.
I sent one of my young ladies off to Toronto to visit family this week, but I plan to spend the evening on Valentine's Day pampering my other darling daughter with a couple's massage! To be honest, I would never even have considered a couple's massage in a romantic context - something about the idea of each of you being massaged by someone else as you lie, nearly naked right beside each other? Just ew. But to take my nine year-old, who moans with jealousy every time I head to the spa, for her first real massage, and to share it with her in the same room? That sounds like an awesome gift of love to me.
Speaking of love, check out a few of the incredibly awesome sentiments I received from my students today:
Sometimes things get lost in translation, and sometimes they just don't. I plan to "have a great awesome enjoyment day". You should too.
I love that this student decorated my Valentine's Day card as if it were a page in a visual journal, reflecting on their learning! And trust me when I tell you, nothing warms the cockles of a teacher's heart as much as sentences like, "I didn't really know how to do long division and now I'm way better!" or "thanks to you, I know a lot more on John A. MacDonald" *sighs*
To be honest, in my books it's points #1 and 3 on this list that make me feel proudest of all: "Thank you for:
#1) being a fun teacher
#2) not making us sit and take notes a lot
#3) letting us have freedom in class :)
#4) not yelling :)
#5) being awesome!"
And really: who doesn't like being called awesome? Right?
Also: I can now go to my grave knowing that some children (not my own, unfortunately) can tell the difference between my "stern voice" and yelling.
So when I reflect on all the different ways I've experienced Valentine's Day over the years, I'd have to say that receiving the heartfelt love of a child, and knowing you've made a positive difference in their lives? That is far and away the best Valentine's Day gift. Ever.
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Challenges? Ha! I've got Tools for That...tag:www.urbanmoms.ca,2013:/losing_it//2.133652013-02-04T17:05:59Z2013-02-19T19:31:35ZOkay, so it's been a little over two weeks now that I've been following the Weight Watchers 360° program, and I'm sure all you want to know is, how much weight have I lost so far? Well, I'm sorry to...Kathhttp://www.urbanmoms.ca/losing_it/
But this time I feel more equipped to deal with any challenges I might face - the new Weight Watchers 360° program offers new tools to help overcome the challenges of human nature and temptation by teaching me how to set up healthy routines and habits. This time around I feel more confident - and one of the tools I'm using to help me succeed is the Hot Spots, which helps me identify my most challenging area or situation, and offers ideas for setting up my environment for success. You consider the different spaces in your life (home, work, shopping, eating out, traveling or special occasions) and find tips to help you plan ahead for success in each space (for instance, when shopping, take your PointsPlus calculator with you so you can know how many points each food choice will cost you). They also have tools to help you deal with panic moments, like what to do if you can't resist the samples at the grocery store?
One of the hot spot tools I like best is for the bedroom (no, don't go there!) - you set out your workout clothes front and centre, and make sure your exercise equipment is cleared off so you can't miss them when you get up in the morning. That way when you wake up in the morning, you've got no excuses. After all, if you can't find your workout clothes because they're tucked away at the bottom of a dark drawer, you might quit before you start. Likewise, your treadmill isn't helping you if it's buried under clothes and shopping bags.
But back to the business at hand - you were asking how I'm doing so far? Well, I lost 4.4 pounds in my first week, and a further two pounds during week two! So far so good, and each week I try out a new tool, keeping the ones that work best. The best part is, it doesn't even feel like a struggle to lose this weight. With daily tracking I feel in control of what I eat, but I never feel deprived - and I like this feeling of being in control. Here's a shot of me with one of my favourite healthy treats: a banana yogurt shake (1/2 cup plain, fat-free Greek yogurt; 1/2 cup skim milk; 1 cup ice cubes; 1 banana; 2 packets stevia or other calorie-free sweetener - blend it all up on high speed and enjoy! It makes a wonderful breakfast.)
So, that's me...and what about you? Do you feel like it's time for you to make a positive change in your life? Well, there's no time like the present. We're thrilled to partner with the folks at Weight Watchers to offer our members the chance to win a membership! One lucky winner will win a three-month Weight Watchers meeting membership to get you off on the right foot in your own weight loss journey! To be entered to win, write a comment below telling me why now is your time to start losing weight!
2012 was a record-breaking year for births in Alberta, with 52,398 new souls being welcomed into the world here. And according to Service Alberta, Emma and Liam were the two most popular names given to these little bundles of joy. 
I haven't written a lot about my daughter's struggle with anxiety and school refusal, partly because it's as much her story to tell as it is mine, and also because...well, to be perfectly honest it's embarrassing. It makes me feel like a bad parent. Like I've failed my daughter and I've failed as a parent - my most important job.
